o'clock, when they set fire to what was combus
title of the fort they had so nobly defended, and
crossed to Red Bank by the light of its flames.

The loss of this fort was deeply regretted by Washington, though he gave high praise to the officers and men of the garrison. Colonel Smith was voted a sword by Congress, and Fleury re ceived the commission of lieutenant-colonel.

Washington still hoped to keep possession of Red Bank, and thereby prevent the enemy from weighing the chevaux-de-frise before the frost obliged their ships to quit the river. "I am anxiously waiting the arrival of the troops from the northward,” writes he, “who ought, from the time they have had my orders, to have been here before this. Colonel Hamilton, one of my aides, is up the North River, doing all he can to push them forward, but he writes me word, that he finds many unaccountable delays thrown in his war. The want of these troops has embarrassed ali my measures exceedingly."

The delays in question will best be explained by a few particulars concerning the mission of Colonel Hamilton. On his way to the head-quar ters of Gates, at Albany, he found Governor Clin ton and General Putnam encamped on the oppo site sides of the Hudson, just above the Highlands the governor at New Windsor, Putnam at Fish kill. About a mile from New Windsor, Hamilton met Morgan and his riflemen, early in the morning of the 2d of November, on the march for Wash ington's camp, having been thus tardily detachec by Gates. Hamilton urged him to hasten on with

possible dispatch, which he proved to da e colonel had expected to Eul matten a spå rain, that he would Lave little to d. but Larry ample reinforcements already on the inte reas, he found that a large part of the Northe army was to remain in and also: A la ș. t four thousand men to be spared to the der-in-chief; the rest were to be stators a east side of the Hudson with Potat held a council of war how to

in

old general, in fact, had for suce the past
haunted by a project of an attack upon New
, in which he had twice been towarekan
which the time seemed propitious now that
of the British troops were reported to late
from New York to reinforce Genera. Hve
ilton rather disconcerted his project by -
g him, in Washington's name, to Ly
ard two continental brigades to the latter,
her with Warner's militia brigade; also to
to Red Bank a body of Jersey militia about
oss to Peekskill.

aving given these directions, Hamilton bas-
Jon to Albany. He found still less disposi-
on the part of Gates to furnish the troops re-
ed. There was no certainty, he said, that Sir
ary Clinton had gone to join General Howe
ere was a possibility of his returning up the
er, which would expose the arsenal at Albany
destruction, should that city be left bare of
ops. The New England States, too, would be
open to the ravages and depredations of the
my; beside, it would put it out of his

t

power

N.remier, Lord Cornwallis was detached with Iv; thend men to cross from Chester into the ers, where he would be joined by a force advancing from New York.

Apprised of this movement, Washington detacted Geteral Huntington, with a brigade, to ju Varzem a: Red Bank. General Greene was asc celered to repair thither with his division, and an express was sent off to General Glover, ▼w wis ca s way through the Jerseys with is tegak, directing him to file off to the left the same point. These troops, with such aas erald be collected, Washington hoped vix sånt to save the fort. Before they mui irm a junction, however, and reach their des nation. Cornwallis appeared before it. A deVR is such superior force was hopeless. The works were abandoned; they were taken possession J by the enemy, who proceeded to de

ཡིད་ཚེ་རྗེས་ན་གས་ཀྱི་ After the destruction had been acem busted the reinforcements from the North, si jog ind se axi usly expected, and so shameDeared made their appearance. "Had amined tat ten days sooner," writes Washགྲས་:|: is broder, “it would, I think, have JUL CATY power to save Fort Mifflin, which ardened the crevaux-de-frise, and consequently lavond Padelphia a very ineligible sitKOR JE Že treny this winter.”

The may arived in ragged plight, owing 37 be largement of the commissariat. A part ikras de corps was absolutely unable to a de bed or want of shoes, and such was

BRITISH IN CONTROL OF THE RIVER. 339

the prevalent want in this particular, that ten dollars reward was offered in general orders for a model of the best subsitute for shoes that could be made out of raw hides.

The evil which Washington had so anxiously striven to prevent had now been effected. The American vessels stationed in the river had lost all protection. Some of the galleys escaped past the batteries of Philadelphia in a fog, and took refuge in the upper part of the Delaware; the rest were set on fire by their crews and abandoned.

The enemy were now in possession of the river, but it was too late in the season to clear away the obstructions, and open a passage for the large ships. All that could be effected at present, was to open a sufficient channel for transports and vessels of easy burden, to bring provisions and supplies for the army.

Washington advised the navy board, now that the enemy had command of the river, to have all the American frigates scuttled and sunk immediately. The board objected to sinking them, but said they should be ballasted and plugged, ready to be sunk in case of attack. Washington warned them that an attack would be sudden, so as to get possession of them before they could be sunk or destroyed; his advice and warning were unheeded; the consequence will hereafter be shown.

Question of an Attack on Philadelphia. - General Reed at Head-quarters.-F.nemy's Works reconnoitered. — Opinions in a Council of War. - Exploit of Lafayette. Receives Command of a Division. - Modification of the Board of War. - Gates to Preside. - Letter of Lovell. Sally Forth of General Howe. Evolutions and Skirmishes.- Conway Inspector-general. - Consultation about Winter-quarters. - Dreary March to Valley Forge - Hutting. Washington's Vindicatory Letters. the Year.

- Retrospect of

N the evening of the 24th of November Washington reconnoitered, carefully and thoughtfully, the lines and defenses about Philadelphia, from the opposite side of the Schuylkill. His army was now considerably reinforced; the garrison was weakened by the absence of a large body of troops under Lord Cornwallis in the Jerseys. Some of the general officers thought this an advantageous moment for an attack upon the city. Such was the opinion of Lord Stirling, and especially General Wayne, Mad Anthony, as he was familiarly called, always eager for some daring enterprise. The recent victory at Saratoga had dazzled the public mind, and produced a general impatience for something equally striking and effective in this a Reed, Wash